Edmond home inspections: Attic air flow

In just a few days, Spring will be here and temperatures will be changing! Just as the new season kicks in people are wanting change, too. A lot of people are going to be in the market to sell and buy homes starting around this time of year. This means Edmond home inspections are certain to take place and one thing I will be looking for while inspecting a home, is the attic ventilation.

Do you have proper attic ventilation? Do you wonder why this is even significant? Since being experienced with Edmond home inspections is my job, I will be happy to share my knowledge with you so that you will have a heads up going into your Edmond home inspection!

Believe it or not, there has to be a good combination of insulation for warmth and some way to allow cold air to enter the attic in order to have the most energy-efficient home and to avoid any damage from moisture build up. It may seem a little silly to add insulation for warmth and then intentionally permit cold air to enter the attic through vents, but this arrangement is the best solution.

From my Edmond home inspection “point of view,” I am looking for these things for a few reasons. Here is why:

Cold months: In the colder months, the natural flow of outdoor air ventilates the attic to keep it cold, which sounds strange, but it helps reduce the potential risk of ice damming. The phenomenon of ice damming is when snow melts off of a roof from an attic that is too warm then re-freezes at the edge of the roof, near the gutters, causing an ice dam that can be destructive to the roof.

Warm months: In the warmer months, proper insulation and air sealing is important. The insulation will resist heat transfer into the house. The natural air flow in a properly vented attic moves overly hot air out of the attic, protecting roof shingles and removing moisture. The moisture build up can lead to damaged shingles and other roofing materials as well as a buildup of condensation and growth of mildew and mold.

I hope that after reading a little more about why proper attic ventilation is necessary, that you will consider whether your attic is being ventilated properly. If it isn’t, now is as good a time as any to get that corrected. You could just think of it as part of your Spring cleaning checklist.

Give me a call (405-301-3321) to find out more, or if you feel you need an Edmond home inspection!

Oklahoma City home inspection: Weep hole explanation

Many homeowners first discover weep holes while observing the outside brick surface of their home. Sometimes, they don’t even know they are there unless they are pointed out during one of my Oklahoma City home inspections. Many people think that when their home was built that the mason forgot to fill these holes in the bottom of the house. Some homeowners even think that the holes are there due to some sort of damage done to the home. I am here to debunk these misconceptions. As a trusted adviser for Oklahoma City home inspections, with many years of experience, I want to keep my customers informed. Below are a few questions I could get from customers and the answers.

Customer’s Oklahoma City home inspection question: So, what exactly are weep holes?

Answer: Weep hole openings are drainage holes left in the face of a brick. They are not damage done to you home; they are there on purpose. That’s right, the home builder did this for a reason! These weep holes are there in order to allow water to escape downwards through the cavity created and out to the outside of the wall surface through the weep hole openings.

Customer’s Oklahoma City home inspection question: Why are weep holes needed for brick?

Answer: These pretty, fired or sun-dried clay bricks are not waterproof. In fact, because brick is a very porous type of material it just soaks up the water. Without the weep holes, water would just penetrate into the brick which can cause damage to the home.

An extra tidbit: There are some companies out there that will try to sell vents to cover the weep holes. If you try to do this, just know that adding a wall vent or drain screen should reduce the chances of clogging from insects or animals, but if the wall was improperly constructed so that the opening does not actually vent the wall then the vent screen cannot correct those defects.

Give me a call (405) 301-3321) to find out more, or if you feel you need an Oklahoma City home inspection!